Rear Diff Support Moving Too Much?

[Mike]

Re: Rear Diff Support Moving Too Much?

This is my cradle and T-bar which replace the standard Sierra D-mount, picking up the same fixings to the diff and boot support plate.



And now fitted to my Cabrio:

[CosworthCabrioLee]

Re: Rear Diff Support Moving Too Much?

Look excellent Mike have you been up the road yet, ???

[djj_engineer]

Re: Rear Diff Support Moving Too Much?

I guess your diff must be different to mine.
The front bolt on mine takes care of any longtitudinal rotation and the rear mounting controls the tendency of the diff to rotate rather than the driveshafts.
There seem to be a range of these available for the various Fords that use the type of diff. Mine seem to have come form America.

[Mike]

Re: Rear Diff Support Moving Too Much?

I guess your diff must be different to mine.
The front bolt on mine takes care of any longtitudinal rotation and the rear mounting controls the tendency of the diff to rotate rather than the driveshafts.
There seem to be a range of these available for the various Fords that use the type of diff. Mine seem to have come form America.

Do you have any photos of your set up Derek?

I suspect our diffs will be the same. My diff is a standard Sierra 7" diff. Although Ford made a 7.5" diff, and Marlin suggested using Granada diffs too, the designs are identical, apart from the extra width.

I need to control the movement of my diff more than most as I have narrowed and lowered my transmission tunnel to fit wider Audi A4 Sports seats, and retain access to their recline adjusters. The standard Ford Sierra rear diff D-mount bracket allowed too much rotational movement in the drive shaft plane and would have led to problems with the prop shaft flange fouling on brake or fuel lines. Even in standard set up the Ford D-mount has been found wanting, particularly in cars with bigger engines.
As you suggested, some owners have tried plugging the void with rubber to make it stiffer, with mixed results; others have fitted the much more rigid enclosed polybush. I wanted to reduce my rotation in the drive shaft plane, but preferred not to use a polybush due to the potential to introduce more vibration in to the chassis. Since Ford changed away from the single D-mount with its void, to two enclosed solid rubber bushes for their later Scorpios, in an effort to improve NVH and and compete with its German rivals, I have imitated their design with the T-bar arrangement.

I am confident it will reduce my diff movement, in both planes, but only time will tell if it is succesful in keeping the vibration levels down.

Mike